Riverbank is a city in

Stanislaus County , image_skyline = , image_caption = Images, from top down, left to right: Modesto Arch, Knights Ferry's General Store, a view of the Tuolumne River from Waterford , image_flag = , i ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

, United States. The population was 24,623 at the 2020 census, up from 15,826 at the 2000 census. Incorporated on August 23, 1922, Riverbank's official slogan is "City of Action." It is part of the Modesto

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. Riverbank was founded as a

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

crossing, and was established as a town with the coming of the

San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad The San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad was a California rail line between Stockton and Bakersfield constructed in the late 1890s and very shortly thereafter purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and became their Val ...

, which was soon acquired by the

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

. The town holds a Cheese & Wine Exposition each October. It is named for its location on the

Stanislaus River The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the high ...

History

In the 1850s, the Riverbank area was known as Burneyville. Major James Burney, sheriff of Mariposa, established the Burneyville Ferry over the

at the site of the modern bridge in Riverbank.

Downtown revitalization

Riverbank's downtown was remodeled in 2009. New attractions include a downtown plaza with a mural and statue of a

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...

operator. The Riverbank Branch Library on Santa Fe Street is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.59%) is water.

Demographics

2020

At the 2020 census Riverbank had a population of 24,623. The racial makeup of Riverbank was 16,620 (67.5%) White, 443 (1.8%) African American, 196 (0.8%) Native American, 1,378 (5.6%) Asian, 49 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 7,805 (31.7%) from other races, and 3,176 (12.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14,355 persons (58.3%). There were 6,579 households, 3,380 (51.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,053 (61.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 880 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 434 (6.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 413 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 923 households (14.0%) were one person and 358 (5.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.42. There were 5,367 families (81.6% of households); the average family size was 3.76. (This Information was gathered from the 2010 Census due to lack of information on the official 2020 report) The age distribution was 1,822 people (7.4%) under the age of 5, 6,943 people (28.2%) under the age of 18, and 2,659 people (10.8%) who were 65 or older. The Female persons percent came up to be 51.6%, or 12,705 people. The Owner-occupied housing unit rate from 2016-2020 was 66%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units throughout those years $318,800. The median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2016-2020 was around $1,711. The median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2016-2020 was around $530. Lastly the median gross rent during those 4 years came up to be around $1,244.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 15,826 people in 4,544 households, including 3,821 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 4,698 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 66.85% White, 1.53% African American, 1.43% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 24.03% from other races, and 4.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.91%. Of the 4,544 households 49.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 11.9% of households were one person and 4.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 3.73. The age distribution was 33.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...

for a household in the city was $44,668, and the median family income was $47,411. Males had a median income of $36,370 versus $29,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,972. About 9.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over. The California State Department of Finance estimates the population of Riverbank as of January 1, 2006 to be 21,215 people, an estimated 34.1% increase since 2000.

Government

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislatu ...

, Riverbank is in , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Riverbank is in .

Transportation

The

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, tr ...

has a mainline running through Riverbank and serves as the BNSF's principal line linking Northern California with the Los Angeles-Chicago mainline. The line used to be owned by the

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

(ATSF).

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

had a station in Riverbank which also served nearby

Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...

; it was replaced by Modesto station on November 1, 1999, and was destroyed by fire in 2005. The

Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority The Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, branded as The S, is a public transportation bus system serving Modesto, California and surrounding Stanislaus County. It was formed in 2021 from the merger of the Modesto Area Express (MAX) and Stanisl ...

operates one bus route in Riverside.

Events

Each year during the second weekend of October, the annua
Cheese & Wine Exposition
is held. The two-day event features wine and cheese tasting, carnival games, and arts and crafts booths. The Expo draws thousands of people from surrounding towns and agricultural areas.

Public safety

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department provides police services to the city.

Schools

Elementary schools *California Avenue Elementary School *Crossroads Elementary School *Mesa Verde Elementary School Middle schools *Cardozo Middle School High schools *Enochs High school * Riverbank High School Other schools *Riverbank Language Academy

Climate

Winter temperatures range from the mid 40s to the high 60s, summer temperatures from the 50s to the 100s.

Sister cities

Notable people

Oscar Zeta Acosta Oscar "Zeta" Acosta Fierro (; April 8, 1935 – disappeared 1974) was a Mexican-American attorney, politician, novelist and activist in the Chicano Movement. He was most well known for his novels '' Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo'' (1972) an ...

- attorney, politician, novelist and Chicano Movement activist. * German Fernandez - American professional runner.

References

External links

City of Riverbank Web SiteRiverbank Unified School DistrictStanislaus Regional Transit
{{Authority control Incorporated cities and towns in California Cities in Stanislaus County, California 1922 establishments in California Populated places established in 1922